ANIMALS

PART 1

The Bible mentions animals from Genesis to Revelation. Animals played an important part in many key biblical events. Think about their role in Creation -- YHVH made the animals before He created humans. Consider Adam and Eve’s encounter with the serpent, known as the fall of man. Generations later, pairs of animals were also brought on Noah’s Ark during the Flood. YHVH featured animals during the ten plagues to get his point across to the stubborn pharaoh. Animals were also used in Hebrew worship as sacrifices. Additionally, animals touched the life of Yeshua and affected His teaching style. No doubt, animals played a unique role in biblical times just as they continue to be a significant part of our lives as well. The people of both Old Testament and New Testament times lived close to the land and were well acquainted with various animals. The Bible often uses animals as object lessons to explain a certain truth. The Bible groups animals together differently than modern science. Structure, or what the animals look like, forms the modern biologists’ present system of classification, which traces back to Carolus Linnaeus {an eighteenth-century Swedish botanist}. Habitat, or where the animals live, forms the biblical basis of classification. Thus, Genesis 1 speaks of organisms that live in water {Genesis 1:20}; organisms that fly {1:21}; animals that crawl on the ground {1:24}; cattle or domesticated animals {animals that live in association with humans} {1:24}; and wild animals {1:24}. Leviticus 11 and the whole of Scripture follow the same system of classification. The various animals of the Bible are listed here in alphabetical order-including reptiles, fish, and even invertebrates such as insects, spiders, worms, and sponges.

ADDER

The adder is one of twenty poisonous snakes found in Israel and the surrounding countries. It is also referred to as cockatrice and viper. The poison of adders, or vipers, attacks the respiratory system and disintegrates red blood cells. Both Yeshua and John the Baptist referred to the viper several times {Matthew 3:7; 12:34; 23:33}. Yeshua used the viper to illustrate how dangerous some people can be to our faith. The reference in Acts 28:3 is probably to a small viper that strikes rapidly and is very quarrelsome.

ANT

The ant is mentioned only twice in the Bible, both times in the book of Proverbs. Scientists now recognize at least three species of grain-storing ants -- two occur in Israel and the other in Mediterranean countries. The particular species referred to by Solomon {Proverbs 6:6-8; 30:24-25} is probably the harvester ant.

ANTELOPE

Scripture refers to several antelope-like creatures. One seems to be the white oryx, referred to in Deuteronomy 14:5 {KJV “wild ox”; RSV “antelope”} and Isaiah 51:20 {KJV “wild bull”; RSV “antelope”}. The oryx was probably the antelope, commonly used for food because its long horns made it relatively easy to catch. The Bible mentions another antelope called the addax in Deuteronomy 14:5. It is a native of North Africa with greyish white hind parts, a white patch on the forehead, and twisted and ringed horns. It is common in Africa and in Arabia, where Arabs hunt it with falcons and dogs. Antelopes are very graceful and run with their heads held high. Antelopes are alert, wary, and keen sighted. Both addax and oryx were ceremonially clean in Jewish Law, meaning the Jews could use them for food.

APE

This primate is not native to Palestine. The two references to apes in the Old Testament {1 Kings 10:22; 2 Chronicles 9:21} refer to King Solomon’s import business. He imported apes with other treasures on board the ships of his fleet.

ASP

The asp is a poisonous snake. Most biblical references to the asp {Deuteronomy 32:33} seem to be to the Egyptian cobra, which conceals itself in holes, walls, and rocks. Cobra poison attacks the nervous system, causing paralysis. The Egyptians looked upon it as a sacred creature; they regarded it as a protector since it fed on the rodents that ate their crops. The “fiery serpents” {Numbers 21:6; Deuteronomy 8:15, both RSV} may have been cobras; “fiery” probably refers to the burning fever caused by their venom. Isaiah 14:29 and 30:6 {“flying serpent”} may refer to the hood of the cobra.

BADGER

A badger is a small hoofed mammal. The King James Version calls it a “coney,” while modern translations name it a “rock badger” {Leviticus 11:5; Deuteronomy 14:7; Psalm 104:18; Proverbs 30:26}. Rock badgers, or hyraxes, live together in colonies of six to fifty animals, often sunning themselves on rocks. They are difficult to catch. Guards are posted, and if approaching danger is sighted, the whole group will scurry for cover, warned by the sharp whistles of the guards. Thus, they are commended for taking refuge in the rocks {Psalm 104:18} and are called wise for making “their houses in the rocks” {Proverbs 30:24, 26, KJV}.

BAT

Bats are flying mammals according to modern classification. They have hair and provide milk for their young. The Bible classifies them with other aerial creatures. Bats take shelter in caves, crevices, tree cavities, buildings, and also in exposed places on trees. In colder areas they hibernate or migrate. The normal resting position for a bat is hanging head downward. Bats “swim” through the air rather than fly because they move with their legs as well as with their wings. Eight varieties of bats are known in the Holy Land. One of them, the little brown bat, is found worldwide. It eats insects and probably has the widest distribution of any nonhuman land mammal. Brown bats are mostly cave dwellers. The females form maternity colonies that may number in the tens of thousands. The bats found in the Holy Land vary in size from that of a mouse to the size of a rat; the largest species measures more than twenty inches across the wings. The bat was unclean to the Jews {Leviticus 11:19; Deuteronomy 14:18}.

BEAR

Bears are large, heavy mammals with short, powerful limbs, a short tail, and small eyes and ears. The Palestinian bear is a Syrian version of the brown bear. It can grow to a height of 6 feet and may weigh as much as 500 pounds. Bears have an excellent sense of smell but less developed senses of sight and hearing. They are omnivorous {eating any kind of food}; they survive largely on vegetation, fruits, insects, and fish. Bears are usually peaceful and inoffensive, but if they think they must defend themselves {Lamentations 3:10} or their young {2 Samuel 17:8; Proverbs 17:12; Hosea 13:8}, they may become dangerous. David boasted of his role as a bear killer {1 Samuel 17:34-37}. David pointed to the courage and strength he had as a young shepherd, running after a bear and wrenching one of his father’s sheep from its jaws. In comparison, fighting the giant, Goliath, was little challenge. The bear and the lion, often mentioned together in the Bible {1 Samuel 17:37}, were the two largest and strongest beasts of prey in the Holy Land. Thus, they symbolized both strength and terror {Amos 5:19}.

BEE

Bees gather nectar from flowers, transferring pollen from one flower to another in the process. It is believed that they convey the location of sources of nectar to other bees through a bee “dance,” which may indicate both distance and direction. The wild bees of the Holy Land are especially noted for their ferocity in attack. Only the female “worker” bees sting people and animals. Their venom increases its potency in warm weather. A number of biblical passages allude to the irritable, vindictive nature of bees and to the painful stings they inflict {Deuteronomy 1:44; Psalm 118:12; Isaiah 7:18}. In the Holy Land, beekeeping was probably not practiced until the Hellenistic period {second century BC}, although Ezekiel 27:17 suggests that it may have been practiced earlier. If domestic honey was not available to the Hebrews, wild honey certainly was.

CAMEL

A camel is a large beast of burden. Unintelligent, ill-natured, and quarrelsome, the camel is nevertheless a blessing to people living in the desert and on its borders because it is especially adapted to that habitat. It has been called the ship of the desert. Having thick elastic pads of fibrous tissue on its feet, it can walk on hot desert sands. It can go without water for long periods and can survive on vegetation. The camel’s nostrils are pinched together and can be closed at will to prevent penetration of sand during violent sandstorms. Camels are used for transporting both goods and people. A person riding a camel can cover from 60 to 75 miles in a day. A camel can carry a load weighing 600 pounds or more. Camels were used heavily in the spice trade {Genesis 37:25} and travelled regularly in camel trains between Arabia, Egypt, and Assyria. They were also ridden in time of war {Judges 6:5}. A camel can even be hitched to a plough in areas where the land is cultivated. Abraham had camels in Egypt {12:16}. Job had 3,000 camels {Job 1:3} at the beginning of his story. However, through a series of events, he lost everything. Yet the Bible uses his story to illustrate YHVH’s faithfulness. It points out that after his recovery; Job regained 6,000 camels {42:12}. The Bible chose camels as a monetary blessing of that time to illustrate how Job recouped twice as much as he lost.

CATERPILLAR

A caterpillar is the larval stage of insects that change into other forms through a process called metamorphosis. The word “caterpillar” occurs three times in the New Living Translation {1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chronicles 6:28; Psalm 78:46}. In the book of Joel, that same Hebrew word is translated “locust” {Joel 1:4; 2:25}.

CATTLE

Cattle are domestic animals of the bovine species. The Old Testament often emphasized the beauty of cattle. Egypt was rich in cattle, especially in the Nile River delta area {Goshen}, where the Hebrews settled under Joseph. Some scholars believe that milk rather than meat was the foremost consideration in the domestication of cattle and that in early civilizations meat supplies came chiefly from wild game. Cattle also supplied strong hides that supplanted wood in the manufacture of shields. Their dung was a source of fuel when wood was scarce {Ezekiel 4:15}. They were used as beasts of burden and for ploughing. Cattle helped with the development of wheeled transportation more than any other animal. The biblical term “cattle” often refers to all domesticated animals or livestock {Genesis 1:24; 2:20; 7:23; 47:6, 16-17; Exodus 9:3-7; Numbers 3:41, 45}. Occasionally, the term was used to refer to all large domestic animals {31:9; 32:26}. The patriarchs {biblical fathers of Israel} practiced cattle breeding {compare to Genesis 32:15; Job 21:10}. For breeding purposes, one bull is normally adequate for about thirty cows, but many more were kept since bulls were widely used in Israel for sacrifices. They might be used as a general sacrifice {Leviticus 22:23; Numbers 23} or for special sacrifices {Judges 6:25; 1 Samuel 1:24} at a certain feast or festival. Aaron, the first high priest, made a golden calf as a rival to the Ark of the Covenant {Exodus 32; Deuteronomy 9:16, 21}. Even though he represented the calf as an image of the invisible Elohiym, it was especially offensive because the calf was a fertility symbol related to Egyptian and Canaanite practices. Two calves were later made by Jeroboam I of Israel {930-909 BC} for his shrines at Bethel and Dan {1 Kings 12:28-33}. Hosea’s prophetic denunciations of calf worship were directed at those shrines {Hosea 8:5-6; 13:2}.

CHAMELEON

This lizard is characterized by its ability to change colour according to its surroundings. To the Israelites, the chameleon was ritually unclean {Leviticus 11:30}.

CRICKET

Crickets are related to grasshoppers and locusts. According to Leviticus 11:22, the cricket was edible. The King James Version translates the Hebrew word as “beetle.”

BIBLE STUDY --- THE GOOD SHEPHERD

PARABLES

From Mark 4:1-25

One time, when Yeshua walked beside the Sea of Galilee, great crowds gathered behind Him. Entering a boat near the shore, Yeshua sat down to teach them. As He often did, He began to teach through stories. Here is one of the stories He told: [Listen! There was once a man who went into a field to sow some seeds. As he threw the seed, some of it fell along the hard soil of the path, and the birds flew down to eat it. Some seed fell on shallow soil filled with rocks. The seeds began to grow quickly in the shallow soil, but the sun soon scorched the young plants for they did not have much root. Some of the seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the young plants and kept the grain from growing. Other seed fell into good soil, and produced a good crop, in some cases thirty, sixty, or a hundred times as much as had been planted. If you have ears, you should listen to what I am saying.] When the crowd had gone and Yeshua was alone, some of His followers asked Him about the meaning of the story. [This parable helps you understand the secrets of YHVH’s Kingdom,] Yeshua answered. [Others hear only the story itself, but to you its meaning is revealed. It has been written: ‘Some will look, but not perceive, some will listen, but not understand. But those who do will turn to YHVH and He will take away their sin.’] Then Yeshua said to His followers, [It really isn’t difficult to understand the meaning of this parable. If you don’t understand this one, it will be difficult for you to understand any of the parables. Listen carefully. The seed that is sown is the Word of YHVH. But like the seed that falls on the hard path, some of it falls on hard hearts. As soon as the Word comes to these hearts, Satan descends and snatches it away. In the same way, the rocky soil represents those who accept YHVH’s Word quickly with joy, but because of their shallow hearts they give it up when the first trouble or persecution comes along. The seed among thorns is the Word which is choked out by the worries and cares of this life, the delights of riches, and the desire for things. All of these things keep the Word from bearing fruit. The seed that fell on good soil is the Word that takes root in a life. It is heard, accepted, and allowed to bear fruit. Like the sower’s seed, it will produce thirty, sixty, or a hundred times as much as was planted.] Yeshua also said, [Do people light a lamp and then put it under a basket or a bed? Of course not! They put it on a lamp stand so that it will give light. Whatever is hidden now will someday be revealed and whatever is covered now will someday be uncovered. If you have ears, you should listen to what I am saying.] Then Yeshua added, [Be sure to pay attention to this. You will receive in the same measure as you give. You will receive even more. Whoever has much will receive more, but whoever has little will lose what he has.]

COMMENTARY

SEEDTIME AND HARVEST

In the time when Yeshua was on earth, the sowing and harvesting of grain had to be done entirely by hand -- as it still is, in some parts of the Near East and the rest of the world. The climate in Palestine has changed very little, if at all, since Bible times. Seedtime is still -- as it was then -- during the months we think of as harvest time. Farmers begin sowing their seeds in early October; by the beginning of December all the crops are planted. The rains of winter come and keep the crops watered. By April, the crops are fully grown. Just when our farmers are thinking about spring planting, the farmers in Bible lands are sharpening their sickles and getting ready for the harvest. Harvest time has always been a season of great contrasts. There was much hard work to be done, but there were occasions to celebrate a fruitful harvest. The Jews observed the Feast of Pentecost during this season. From the Passover in April until the month of June, they set aside a special time to thank YHVH for His blessings on the land.

BIBLE STUDY -- THE GOOD SHEPHERD

WITH YESHUA THROUGH GALILEE

From Luke 8:1-3

After His visit in Simon’s house, Yeshua began a tour through Galilee, telling the Good News about the Kingdom of YHVH. The twelve apostles went with Yeshua, as well as some women whom He had freed from evil spirits and healed. There was Mary Magdalene, from whom Yeshua had driven seven devils, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, one of Herod’s officers. With Him also was Susanna and many other women who contributed their own money to care for Yeshua and the apostles.

WHERE DID YESHUA GET HIS POWER?

From Matthew 12:22-37

One day some people brought to Yeshua a man who was blind and could not talk because of a demon in him. When Yeshua drove out the demon so that the man was well, the crowds around Him were amazed. [Could this be the Son of David, the Moshiach?] they asked. When the Pharisees heard that, they quickly tried to put down the idea. [He can order demons from people because His power comes from Satan, the ruler over all the demons,] they argued. But Yeshua knew what they were thinking. [Any kingdom that divides into little kingdoms that fight each other will never last. It is the same with any city or family. They will soon pass into ruin. Now if Satan casts out demons, then he is fighting himself, and his kingdom will soon be destroyed. And if I cast out demons by Satan’s power, then what power do your followers use to cast them out? Let them judge what you have just said. But if I cast out demons with the power of YHVH’s Spirit, then YHVH’s Kingdom has come to you. No one can go into a strong man’s house and steal his things without first binding the strong man. Thus, demons can be cast out only by binding Satan first. [Anyone who is not working with Me is working against Me. Anyone who does not help Me gather, scatters. Let Me warn you that every kind of sin or evil saying can be forgiven except evil sayings against Ruach HaKodesh. Those will never be forgiven, in this world or the next. Whoever speaks against Me will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against Ruach HaKodesh will not be forgiven, in this world or the next. [A tree is recognized by its fruit. Good trees give good fruit. Bad trees give bad fruit. You snakes! How can you give good counsel when you are evil? The mouth speaks only what is already in the heart. A good man brings forth good things from the treasure in his heart. An evil man brings forth evil things from the evil resources in his heart. Let Me warn you that on the Judgment Day men will have to account for every foolish word that they speak. By your words YHVH will judge you innocent, or by your words He will judge you guilty.]

SHOW US A MIRACLE

From Matthew 12:38-45

[Why don’t You show us a miracle?] asked some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. [You want Me to prove further who I am?] Yeshua replied. [No. I will give you no further proof except that of Jonah the prophet. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a great fish. In a similar way, I will spend three days and nights in the depths of the earth. [On the Judgment Day, the people of Nineveh will stand to condemn you, for they turned from their sins when Jonah preached to them, but you have not, even when you have heard Someone greater than Jonah. The Queen of Sheba will also stand up on the Judgment Day to condemn you, for she came from lands far away to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, but you will not listen to Someone greater than Solomon who is right here with you. [You are like a man who has had a demon cast from him. The demon wanders through the deserts, looking for a new home. But when he does not find one, he returns to the man from whom he came. Although the man has purified his heart, he has left it empty. Finding the empty heart, the demon goes out and returns with seven other demons worse than himself. Together, they occupy the man’s empty heart and that man is worse in the end than in the beginning. That’s the way it will be with you, for you have foolishly left your hearts empty.]

WHO IS MY BROTHER?

From Mark 3:31-35

While Yeshua spoke to a crowd one day, His mother and brothers came to see Him. But there were so many people in the house where Yeshua spoke that they could not get in. So, they sent word for Him to come out to see them. [Your mother and brothers are outside,] someone said. Yeshua used this occasion to talk about a family bond stronger than any earthly family. [Who is My mother and who are My brothers?] He asked. Then He turned to those who had gathered around Him. [You are My mother and brothers,] He said, [for anyone who does what YHVH wants is My brother and sister and mother.]

COMMENTARY

YESHUA’ FAMILY ANCESTORS

The ancestors of Yeshua’ family came in all varieties, as most ancestors do. There were kings and commoners, rich and poor, people of spotless reputation and those whose reputation was not so good. Royal ancestors included King David, Israel’s greatest warrior king, and King Solomon, Israel’s richest and sometimes wisest king. Abraham and Jacob were shepherds, as were others in the family tree. Ruth was not an Israelite, but a Moabite. Rahab, who draped a scarlet cord from her window at Jericho when Joshua invaded, was also not an Israelite, but a Canaanite. The unexpected appear in the family tree. The lineage came through Judah, Jacob’s son who did not keep his reputation well, not Joseph, Jacob’s favourite son. It came also through Leah, who had been forced upon Jacob as a wife, instead of through Rachel, Jacob’s beloved. Yeshua’ family genealogy appears in two places in the Bible -- Luke 3:23-38, which goes backwards through time from Mary’s husband Joseph to Adam, and -- Matthew 1:11 7, which moves forward through time from Abraham to Joseph. This genealogy points out the clear division of fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the deportation to Babylon, and fourteen from that time to Joseph. While both genealogies are reckoned to Mary’s husband Joseph, the accounts quickly point out that Yeshua was YHVH’s Son and that Joseph was chosen to care for Him.

The laws of logic typically begin with non contradiction, if something is true the opposite cannot be true. When we accept the Creator’s word as sacred truth then anything that contradicts that is not logical. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” When we choose to believe this, evolution has no place in our reasoning because it contradicts the Bible.

"God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not."

Ex20

this insight came to me as an early morning gift.
let's look at acts 10 again, and allow me to show implications.

- 11He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. 13Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
14“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven. -

now, many attempts at 'explaining' this away have passed under the bridge.
but, what is not looked at is the fact that it LOOKS like 'God' seems to change His mind, flipping from eat plants to adam in genesis 1, eat every living creature to noah in genesis 9, eat only kosher animals to moses in leviticus 11, and now back to eat every living creature to peter in acts 10. huh?

i have spoken before about the distinction between the Father and YHWH, that YHWH is actually the Word Himself, manifested in Yeshua.
we have had extensive discussions about deuteronomy 32:8-9 where YHWH's portion is jacob, the nation of israel.
i ask you to seriously consider this, because otherwise vision is clouded. so, with this understanding look at what's happening with the food laws again.

there is in fact only one change of law.
recognising the difference in the Old Testament between the Father and YHWH when they are mentioned shows this.

(a short refresher - when we talk of YHWH, who keepers of the Law given to moses follow, the Old Testament consistently refers to him only as YHWH, translated in most modern Bibles to 'the LORD'.
and, in the New Testament, YHWH is Yeshua, once His Spirit had descended and remained on Yeshua at His baptism.
when we talk of the Father, the Old Testament consistently refers to Him in multiple ways, either as El, Elohim, or YHWH Elohim, translated in most Bibles to 'Most High', 'God', or 'the LORD God'.
and, in the New Testament, He is the Father, or God.
the reason why the Old Testament intermingles references to the Father with YHWH is that firstly, it is always the Word Who is executing the will of the Father anyway, and secondly, that distinction was not to be made clear yet, that only became necessary once the Word descended among us, which the New Testament is about, yet always the Old Testament was making that distinction clearly. -)

gen 1
- 29Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food -
'God' here being Elohim.

gen 9
- 1And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are delivered into your hand. 3Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things. -
'God' again being Elohim.

lev 11
- 1The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them, 2“Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: -
'The LORD' being YHWH.

and in acts 10,
- 15The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” -
'God' is the Father.

(btw, when it says 'has' made clean, well, He'd done that long ago, with noah.)
because there is actually only one change, from plants only before the flood, to the slate wiped clean situation of after the flood, where the buildup to creating YHWH's portion starts.
for YHWH, being clean, insists His people eat only clean.
the Father, of ALL the nations (all the children of noah), allows the unclean to eat unclean.

am i sucking it out my thumb?
let's jump to gen 8, just before the Father gives all animals as food.
- 20Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar -
'the LORD' being YHWH...

from the beginning, even before there was any distinction between the nations and YHWH's portion, the Old Testament makes clear that with YHWH, only clean will do.

now, with this insight, it becomes easier to understand why james limits his instruction to the gentile believers to a 'noahide' level...
becoming a part of YHWH's portion, joining the nation of israel and keeping Torah, is a choice, and it has its reward, but it is not a necessity.

Thought for Today: Thursday November 20

Cover to cover, the Bible tells of people whose prayers were answered and who turned the tide of history as a result. Hezekiah prayed, and YHVH spared his nation when the Assyrians attacked. Elijah prayed, and YHVH sent fire to confound the false prophets and consume the offering on the waterlogged altar. Elisha prayed, and the son of the Shunammite woman was raised from the dead. Yeshua prayed, and Lazarus came forth from the tomb. Paul prayed, and new churches were born. Even Peter was delivered from prison through prayer. We can change the course of events if we go to our knees in faithful prayers.

What is prophecy? What is the role of a prophet? Are there prophets today, or was that something only for ancient times in the Bible? How does prophecy and other gifts of the Holy Spirit fit with the Torah Awakening in the church in our time? These are important questions David Jones and Barry Phillips discuss.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/229....2194/episodes/182157

 

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Reunion Roadmap Midrash: Prophets

What is prophecy? What is the role of a prophet? Are there prophets today, or was that something only for ancient times in the Bible? How does prophecy and other gifts of the Holy Spirit fit with the Torah Awakening in the church in our time? These a